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Stumbled upon: Street art…on steroids

LONDON – Turns out Shoreditch is covered in graffiti. A simple walk along the high street and you’ll find a ton of ‘street art’ that’s edgy and interesting and full on vandalism of public spaces. I did a quick google search of graffiti in London and found a website, http://streetartlondon.co.uk/, that’s dedicated to covering the latest from the street-art crowd. I’m still torn. Should I accept this art form or shun it because it’s vandalism of public property? Recently, some moron spraypainted a wall near my apartment and I’m confident in saying that it’s not ‘art’ but simply some hoodie just tagging his territory…

Anyway, I do find a lot of the street art thoughtful and provocative and mostly aggressive. Obviously Banksy is the most well known street artist in London but he’s not the only one in town who’s got something to say or express on public property. Here are just a few that I spotted around town.

Take a look at this one. If you don’t slow down you’ll miss it. Can you make out what it is?

I like the lamppost but who is the figure in the chair or the man on the left? Are those two lions?

This one was nearby and I only just spotted it as it’s quite small and a bit worn.

Here’s a closer look.Looks like a man standing on one leg, though some of it’s removed. I can’t quite make out the object on the right.

Here’s another one I liked. His expression looks morose and even a bit threatening.

Here are a few more. What story are they telling?

How do these guys decide on what they’re going to create?

Some of these are just exploding with colour.

I’m assuming these are all done by guys. What would a woman create if she had a can of spray paint?

The miniature pieces are by an artist called Pablo Delgado so if you google him you may find more intact images of the figure on one leg. I’ve seen a piece with a lion tamer in it and these also look like they might be circus performers. There are also pieces by Broken Fingaz Crew and CEPT in your post. If you’d like to see what a female artist might create, check out AliCé (Alice Pasquini), whose work is also in London.